


will you protect me, fair prince?

by lizalilac



Series: Soft Goro Week 2020 [4]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Canon Compliant, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Persona 5 Spoilers, Pre-Canon, Reunions, and its kinda subtle so u can read this as platonic, are written in italics, but they dont realize it, but theyre not too severe, for about 300 words, the last 3 appear for just one scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:48:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25282633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizalilac/pseuds/lizalilac
Summary: Soft Goro Week Day 4: Fairy Tales and PrincesOnce upon a time, a young prince named Goro came to the rescue of a lost maiden who couldn’t protect himself against three hungry wolves. The lost maiden – Ren – was deeply thankful for the prince’s help. This tale details the progression of the prince’s and maiden’s friendship that remained strong despite their tragic separation. They got their happy ending in the form of a reunion and a promise to always be there when help is needed.(Or, Goro and Ren met in elementary school and cross paths in high school after years of being apart from each other.)
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro & Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro & Persona 5 Protagonist, Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: Soft Goro Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827298
Comments: 16
Kudos: 136
Collections: Day 4: Fairy Tales and Princes, Marigolds Discord Recs





	will you protect me, fair prince?

**Author's Note:**

> day four is finally here !! this is one of the fics i was rly looking forward to posting bc i love love LOVE the concept of childhood friends akeshu, just warning you ahead of time that there's some angst in the middle of the fic but i made sure to pile on a ton of fluff right after it, so don't be alarmed. clarifying for the spoiler tag, its very mild spoilers because its just ren theorizing in his head about something for like one line and he happens to be right, but if you haven't played past november then you might be confused. the italics in the first half of the fic means that it's ren's memories, and regular text means that we're back in the present. hope you enjoy the fic!! <33

_“Oi, Amamiya!”_

_Ren froze in place. He knew exactly who that was, but he had nowhere to run. The trio of little boys were already surrounding him with his back to the wall, their heights making him feel even smaller._

_“Where’s your lunch money?” asked one of them while staring at Ren’s closed fist, then grabbed it to try and pry it open. “Is it here? You did tell us yesterday that you’d give it to us, right?”_

_Ren yelped, struggling to stand his ground and quickly opened his hand to avoid a fight, showing them that his money wasn’t there. “I… I didn’t bring any today, I’m sorry.”_

_“Ehhh? You’re lying, I know you brought some!” The tallest of the three stepped in and shoved his hand into Ren’s pockets before he could react, grinning as he took out 400 yen._

_The third one groaned, rolling his eyes at the amount. “Really, kid? You brought 500 the other day.”_

_“Ah! Give it back!” Ren yelled, reaching out to try and grab it, but couldn’t reach it when the boy held it over his head. He tried jumping to reach it, but it only served to make them laugh at him when he couldn’t jump high enough._

_“No way, bud. This is ours now, ‘kay? Thanks!”_

_Ren’s stomach made an angry noise when he realized he won’t be eating today. He let out a defeated sigh. “Oh… okay-”_

_“Not so fast!”_

_Before he knew it, someone ran towards them and leapt up to snatch the money from the boy’s hand. He held the money behind his back and stood in front of Ren, protecting him from the boys. All Ren could see from this angle was the boy’s light brown hair and confident stance. “Really, Takashi? You’re picking on the third graders now?”_

_“You-!” The first boy – Takashi – glared at the person who interrupted them. Surprisingly, Takashi didn’t pick a fight with the boy, he just gave him a nasty look. “Tch… You got lucky, Amamiya. Don’t expect to be saved next time.”_

_He turned and started walking away, the other two following behind after giving equally intimidating glares. Ren’s savior heaved a sigh of relief, turning around to give him his money back with a large smile._

_“You okay?”_

_Ren stared at him with wide eyes and mouth agape, trying to register what happened. He didn’t take his eyes off of the boy’s face while he took the money and put it back in his pocket. “Ah… yeah, um, thanks.”_

_“Haha, no problem. You looked like you needed help, so I decided to come to your rescue!” He explained. Now that he could properly look at the boy, he noticed how bright and large his eyes are and how his cheeks dimpled as he grinned. His hair was pretty long as compared to the other boys in his class, but it didn’t look bad at all. It actually made him look softer. “I’m Goro, what’s your name?”_

_“… Ren. Nice to meet you,” he responded with a tiny grin of his own. “What grade are you in? I haven’t seen you around before.”_

_“I’m a fourth grader! You don’t need to call me senpai though, it feels weird,” Goro said, giggling. “You_ are _in third grade, right? I was actually just guessing, I have no clue if I’m right.”_

_Ren snorted as he laughed, nodding to confirm. “You’re good at guessing, Goro. Teach me your secrets!”_

_“My secrets, eh? Well, well, I can let you in on this one if you promise to be quiet about it… I’m actually a hero!” Goro stage-whispered._

_“Like Red Hawk?” Ren asked with wide eyes full of awe. “That’s so cool! I wanna be a hero too!”_

_“Hehe, let’s have lunch together every day. If you say yes, I’ll teach you how to be a hero, just like Red Hawk!” Goro offered._

_“Ooh, pinky promise?” Ren extended a small pinky finger, beaming at Goro._

_“Pinky promise, Ren-kun!”_

_“Alright guys, we’ll be going to the library for today’s English class!” The teacher told them as soon as she walked into the room. The class started talking excitedly among each other, causing the teacher to shush them. “Quiet down, quiet down. Class 4B is going to be there too because of similar time tables, so don’t bother them, okay?”_

_The class agreed, hurrying to line up in front of the classroom. Ren was squirming with excitement, not because of the library, but because Goro’s going to be there too! The line started moving, so Ren speed-walked at the back of the line, trying to keep up with his classmates._

_When they walked into the library, the teacher led them to the rows of reading booths that their class can use. Ren saw a familiar shade of light brown hair at the end of the row, prompting him to walk over and sit down in the booth next to Goro. “Psst!”_

_Goro looked at him with wide eyes before beaming at him when he realized who it was. “Hey, Ren-kun! I didn’t know your class was coming,” he whispered._

_“My teacher told us 4B would be here, so I wanted to find you,” Ren responded with a quiet laugh. “What are you reading?”_

_“Cinderella. I know it’s a childish fairy tale but… I’ll admit I kinda like fairy tales,” he said shyly._

_“Hehe, don’t worry, I like fairy tales too!” Ren quietly moved his chair a bit closer to Goro so he can read along._

_“Wait, let me start from the beginning.” Goro flipped back to the first page, angling the book so that both of them can read. Ren read a bit slower than Goro did, so he noticed that Goro would look over at him when he finished reading, waiting for him to nod so that he can turn to the next page. Usually he’d feel uncomfortable with somebody staring at him like that, but Goro’s gaze felt oddly comforting_

_Ren gasped at the moment where the prince found out that Cinderella’s foot fit in the slipper, leaning closer to the book as he continued reading, wanting to find out what happened next. He didn’t notice Goro smiling fondly at his excitement._

_They finished the book a minute before the bell rang, just enough time to put it back onto the shelf before getting into their respective class lines. It was recess, so the classroom was abuzz with students grabbing their lunches and heading out into the courtyard. Ren did the same, popping into class to get his lunch box before rushing downstairs, sitting down at his and Goro’s usual bench at the courtyard. He waved enthusiastically when he saw the other boy running over to sit beside him._

_“That was actually a really good book! The prince finally found the love of his life and they lived happily ever after, isn’t that amazing?” Ren rambled, grinning at the boy. It’s been two months since they met for the first time, so Ren was more comfortable showing his talkativeness. With Goro, it’s almost like he forgets how to be shy._

_Goro didn’t mind it, either. It almost seemed like he found it amusing, considering how much he smiled when Ren started blabbering on and on about a topic. “It really was amazing! It’s so romantic, don’t you think, Ren-kun?”_

_“Mmhm, now I kinda want a prince too,” Ren admitted, giggling quietly._

_“You want a prince, huh?”_

_“Yeah! Like…” Ren trailed off thoughtfully. “Like you, back when we first met. You really did remind me of a prince when you protected me!”_

_Goro laughed, his dimples becoming visible. “I’d love to be your prince, Ren-kun. Does that mean you’re my Cinderella, then?”_

_Ren’s cheeks reddened a bit as a wide smile spread across his face. “Uh huh! I’ll be your Cinderella.”_

_“In that case, Prince Goro won’t hesitate to save his Cinderella if he’s in trouble!” Goro grabbed Ren’s hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, much like an actual prince would. Ren could only laugh into his other hand joyfully._

_Ren sobbed into his hand before wrapping his arms around Goro. “What do you mean you’re leaving?”_

_“I’m sorry.” Goro’s cheeks were covered in tears too as he sniffled, burying his face in Ren’s shoulder. “My mom died… so I have to go. Another family is going to take me in.”_

_He tightened his arms around the boy, crying even harder. “No… I loved your mom so much! She was so kind…!”_

_Goro didn’t speak for a moment, just hugged Ren back and let himself weep loudly. “I… I don’t want to go, Ren-kun,” he whispered, voice breaking as he spoke._

_“Don’t leave… Don’t leave me, Goro…”_

_They remained like that until a woman opened Ren’s front door, finding the two of them sobbing in each other’s arms on the couch. They didn’t hear her at first, only turning to look at her when she cleared her throat._

_“It’s time to leave, Goro-kun,” she said, eyes full of pity._

That was the last time Ren saw his childhood friend. They spent a full year together before Goro left, leaving behind only an album full of photos in his mom’s phone and a cat keychain that he’s always clipped to whatever bag he uses the most. His mom sent him all the pictures she had of him and Goro when she bought him his first phone, so he’s always kept a picture of them as his lockscreen.

The keychain… Goro gave it to him for his birthday. Ren gave him a matching dog keychain when Goro’s birthday came around, so that they could always remember each other. During moments like these where he has time to himself, he reminisces on the past. He thinks back to happier times, to times where his only worry was when he could hang out with Goro again. He sometimes wonders if Goro still remembers him, or if he forgot all about their friendship.

Still, though. Unless he had to move away to another country, they’re bound to run into each other someday, right? That’s what he told himself, at least. And it worked, it gave him hope that things could get better. He smiled at the thought of a reunion, would it be tearful? Or would they settle back into their old rhythm, poking fun at each other and cracking jokes?

Ren heaved a sigh. He wondered if Goro was in Tokyo, by chance. What if he stumbled upon him having a cup of coffee at Leblanc, or maybe they’d run into each other at school? Wouldn’t that be something?

Speaking of school… Tomorrow’s his first day and he really wasn’t that excited. Technically, he should be happy that he’s miles away from his hometown, miles away from the people that mocked him, but he had this odd feeling gnawing at his stomach. Oh well, isn’t feeling like that kinda the norm for him anyways?

He clipped his cat keychain to his school bag, silently hoping for the best.

“I’m so pissed off!” Ryuji shouted when they finally finished sorting out the cables. “Aren’t we supposed to be guests? Why the hell do we hafta be doing manual labour? This is bullshit! Going to the bathroom didn’t even make me feel better!”

“Quiet down, will you?” Ann scolded, walking up to the two. “I get how you feel though, that sucked for the both of us.”

Ren groaned, mumbling under his breath, “Sucked for me too… I’m exhausted.”

“We gotta do more of this tomorrow, too?” Ryuji whined, looking like he’s about to collapse at the thought of more.

Morgana popped out of Ren’s bag, staring him down. “No flaking out, Ryuji.”

“I know, I know. I gotta be a ‘good boy’, right? Being Phantom Thieves ain’t easy…”

“That reminds me!” Ann chimed in. “We get to go home straight from here today. We don’t get to spend much time in this area, so why don’t we relax and check out some shops beforehand?”

“Ooh, I know a place! I wanna go to that huge pancake-looking place we passed on the way here!” Morgana suggested, grinning as much as a cat could grin. “It looked delicious! What was that?”

“Ohhh… You mean Dome Town? The round part is a baseball stadium, then along the outside they’ve got an amusement park,” Ryuji explained.

“It’s right in the middle of a business area, but they have some pretty hardcore rides there too,” Ann added excitedly.

Ren couldn’t really pinpoint why, but Morgana looked oddly determined. “All right, let’s go! I’ll show you just how courageous I am!”

“Going on a scary ride doesn’t really prove any kind of courage.”

“Not like cats can get on anyways,” Ryuji reminded, just as unimpressed as Ann.

“… Really?”

“Really. You might be able to sneak in if you stay in the bag, but you’d totally puke if you did that,” Ryuji joked with a large grin on his face, causing Morgana to yelp indignantly. “But uh… Let’s just go to Dome Town, I’m really feeling it now!”

Ann agreed, “Me too! My stomach’s ready for roller coasters!”

“Uhh… I think I’ll pass on the puke rides,” Morgana decided nervously.

They heard footsteps nearby, so Morgana popped back into the bag to hide. Ren’s breath hitched as the person came into view, boasting light brown hair and large, bright eyes. _The same ones from back then._ Could it be…?

“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice your uniforms. Are you students of Shujin Academy?” He asked, walking up to their group. Oh god, his _voice_. It’s deeper and more mature, but it held a similar tone. Ren was losing his mind.

“Yeah, whaddya want?” Ryuji confirmed.

“I happened to be passing by, so it seemed polite to greet you. We’ll be filming together, after all.” He then seemed to remember something, giving them a pleasant grin. It… It looked different from the one he knew. “Ah, where are my manners? My name is Goro Akechi.”

It _is_. It is him, holy shit. Ren couldn’t help the tiny gasp that escaped him, but none of them seemed to hear it. “G… Goro?”

Ryuji and Ann’s attention turned to Ren, and so did Goro’s. The duo looked confused, but Goro’s eyes slowly lit up with recognition after seeing the keychain dangling from Ren’s bag.

“Wait, you’re…! Ren-kun, is that… you?” He questioned carefully.

Ren felt a wide smile spread across his face involuntarily, nodding enthusiastically. “Yeah, it’s me! I can’t believe you’re here!”

Ryuji, Ann and Morgana seemed even more lost, with Ryuji about to open his mouth to ask a question. Ren didn’t wait a second longer, putting his bag down gently with Morgana in mind before running into Goro’s arms. The other boy yelped, laughing at Ren’s excitement.

“How have you been, Ren? It’s really been a while…” He wrapped his own arms around Ren to make up for all of the years that they haven’t spent with each other. He didn’t pull away, letting Ren do that on his own after a long minute.

“No kidding, it’s been years. You have no clue how much I missed you,” Ren whispered, holding Goro’s arms gently. He took the time to observe how much he’s changed. Goro’s jaw looked more defined and he lost the baby fat in his cheeks, not to mention how lean his body looks. He and Ren still looked to be at the same height though, which was the case years ago too. They always seemed to grow at the same speed.

Goro gave him a smile – the one he recognized from back then – and took something out of his pocket. He showed Ren the dog keychain that he gave him. “I’ve always kept this with me as a reminder of you. Seems like you did the same, haha.”

Ryuji spoke up, obviously hesitant to interrupt, but still curious. “Uhh… I don’t mean to interrupt, but you guys have history?”

“Wait, is this the friend you told us about? The one who gave you the keychain?” Ann asked, eyes lighting up with a realization.

Ren finally let go of Goro’s arms and turned to them, nodding. “Goro, this is Ryuji and Ann. And…” He went over to his bag and unzipped it enough so that Goro can see into it. “This is Morgana, he’s my cat.”

“You have a cat? He’s so cute!” Goro gasped, fingers twitching a bit. “Can… Can I pet him?” He asked hesitantly.

Morgana was about to scream at Ren to not allow it, but Ren interrupted him. “Go right ahead, he loves it!”

Goro crouched down in front of the bag and scratched Morgana behind the ears gently. Morgana tried to protest further but eventually just accepted it when he started to become putty in Goro’s hand, purring away. Ren snickered at Morgana, who just glared at him.

“He pretends to hate headpats, but he’s actually such a sucker for them,” Ann told him with a mischievous grin.

Ryuji laughed loudly, agreeing. “Yeah! He loves to yell and act like he doesn’t like the affection, but we all know that’s a lie.”

Goro found this incredibly amusing, squishing Morgana’s cheeks and causing him to yelp. “Thank you for being my stress ball, Morgana. But I really do have to be going now, I’m actually on my way to a briefing for tomorrow’s recording.”

“Oh yeah, you mentioned something about filming. You a celebrity or something?”

Goro chuckled at Ryuji’s suggestion and shook his head. “Only to the extent of appearing on TV a couple of times.”

“Hold up, TV?” Ren asked, eyes widening. “Now I kind of regret never watching TV...”

“Haha, I’m working with the police as a high school detective, so I’m used to being called on TV to give my opinion on a case,” he explained, which further baffled Ren.

“Detective? At eighteen?! Holy shit, I feel so unaccomplished…” Ren pouted.

Goro snorted, shaking his head. “Come on, now. I only got lucky.” He pulled out his phone to check the time, grimacing. “I really do have to get going now, though. Can we exchange numbers and talk later?”

“Sure!” Ren told Goro what his number was so that he could save it in his contacts, trying to sneak a peek of the contact name that he saved. He suppressed a grin when he noticed it was ‘renren’.

“I’ll text you after the briefing. You’re all gonna go have cake now, yes?” Goro asked, tilting his head.

They all blinked, confused at his question. Ryuji spoke up, “Huh, cake? What are you talking about?”

“Oh, am I mistaken?” Goro backtracked, eyes widening a bit. “I thought I heard something about delicious pancakes… I really do have to get myself something to eat soon, the thought of pancakes is making me hungry.”

“Huh, I think your hearing’s getting bad, are you that old?” Ren joked with a shit-eating grin on his face, but something didn’t add up. The only one who said anything about pancakes was…

Goro glared at him, but his lip was trembling with the urge to laugh. “Very funny. If you guys _are_ going anywhere though, have fun. Goodbye for now!” He waved at Ren before walking away.

“He seems kinda nice, but I wonder if he knows he’s not gonna get popular with that kinda hair…” Ryuji commented, prompting Ann to stare him down.

“You don’t get it…”

Ren sighed, picking up the Mona bag and slinging it over his shoulder. “I’m already starting to miss him…”

“It’s fine, we’ll see him tomorrow anyways!” Ryuji reassured, patting his back. “Come on, let’s go to Dome Town.”

And so they did see him tomorrow on the TV set, which Ren still couldn’t get over. Goro… on TV. He was immensely proud of the other boy and was admittedly a bit curious about the circumstances behind this entire thing, but Ren wasn’t gonna question it as long as he’s happy with what he’s doing.

Though it seems like he was more of an idol than a detective, considering how the girls started screaming their heads off when he walked on stage. Seriously, how the hell did he manage that? It’s incredible. Also… they called him the detective _prince_? Hehe, that reminded him of a past conversation of theirs. Ren might have to tease him about this later.

The TV program started off without a hitch as Goro introduced himself, followed by the reporters questioning him on his thoughts about the Phantom Thieves. Ren was really curious about this too. After all, it sounds just like him to be into heroes of justice saving the weak from the mean and powerful.

“Allow me to be blunt for a second, what do you think of these justice-oriented Phantom Thieves?”

A smile spread across Goro’s face, the same pleasant one from yesterday. Seems like he puts that one on for strangers and TV. “If they truly are heroes of justice, I sincerely hope they exist.”

“Ohhh, so you don’t deny the possibility that they’re real?” The host pressed further.

“I may not seem like it, but sometimes I wish that Santa Claus actually existed,” Goro joked, though Ren could see that he’s being a bit genuine. “Although if he did, I’d have to arrest him for breaking and entering.”

The crowd erupted into laughter at that comment, but he could hear Ryuji’s unimpressed groan beside him. Ren couldn't hold back the fond grin on his face.

“But hypothetically speaking, if these Phantom Thieves are real…” Goro continued, eyes narrowing into slits. “I believe they should be tried in a court of law.”

Ren’s eyebrows rose way up into his hairline, trying to control his expression just in case Goro looked over. That… wasn’t what he was expecting. Is that really what he thinks, or is he just putting on another act? Just how much did Goro change when he was away? For the first time in a while, Goro felt... unfamiliar.

The host seemed largely unaffected by this turn of events, however. “That’s quite the statement, are they committing crimes? Some people even say that the Thieves are actually helping their victims abandon their evil ways.”

“What the artist Madarame did truly was an unforgivable crime. However, they’re taking the law into their own hands by judging him. It is far from justice.” His tone was opinionated and passionate, with a tiny hint of aggressiveness behind it. Ren could understand where he’s coming from, but…

“More importantly, you should never forcefully change a person’s heart,” Goro finished.

“You have a point,” the host admitted. “These people are calling themselves the Phantom Thieves, after all. Amazing as always, Akechi-kun! I could listen to you for days! You have the most radiant charisma.”

The praise must’ve affected Goro in some way, his stiff expression fading away to make way for a gentle smile. “I have to say though, I’d be embarrassed if it turns out these Phantom Thieves don’t exist. If that were the case, I’d summarize it into a report as a school project.”

The crowd laughed loudly, but the announcer carried on regardless, going on to ask the crowd to vote on whether they think the Phantom Thieves actually exist. Goro seemed surprised by the fact that seventeen people pressed their buttons, but offered to have someone give a more detailed opinion. The announcer stood up to find someone to interrogate, and Ren felt his heart lurch as she turned the microphone to him. Oh god, fucking stage fright…

“Alright, let’s ask this student here. Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts on these Phantom Thieves, if they were real?”

He cleared his throat to stall for time and allow himself to steady his voice. At least he isn’t standing, his knees would definitely start feeling weak by this point if he was. “They do more than the cops,” he stated bluntly.

Goro clearly wasn’t expecting that, judging by the surprised laugh he gave. Ren’s heart seemed to calm down a bit after hearing that laugh again.

“This completely goes against the opinion you had about them being tried by law, Akechi-kun,” the host noted.

“Indeed, it’s rather intriguing to hear such a strong acknowledgement. In that case… There’s one more question I’d like to ask,” Goro expressed. “If someone close to you, for example, your friend next to you… If his heart suddenly changed, wouldn’t you think it was the work of the Phantom Thieves?”

Ryuji’s heart being changed? He couldn’t imagine targeting Ryuji, he isn’t a bad guy at all. “They only target criminals,” he responded firmly.

“I see, but how can you be so sure?” Goro challenged. Thank fuck, the announcer walked away. “Whether the Thieves’ actions are good or not, I feel there is a more important issue at hand.”

“Hm?” The host prompted. “What do you mean?”

Goro crossed his legs and rested his chin in his hand, taking on a more contemplative look. “The matter of _how_ they change people’s hearts. If they honestly possess that ability, it could be used for more than extracting confessions. It could be that what seem to be ordinary crimes are actually being perpetrated by these methods…”

“You know, you’re absolutely right!”

“Oh, please don’t misunderstand, this is all purely hypothetical,” he stated. “It is only _if_ people who can use such a power truly exist. Either way though, this cannot be ignored. The existence of the Phantom Thieves would be nothing but a threat to our everyday lives.”

This information seemed to surprise the audience, as they immediately began talking amongst each other. “To be honest, I’m already working alongside the police to help sort out this matter,” Goro finished.

After the program was finished, Ryuji ran off to use the bathroom and Ann decided to keep going ahead. Ren decided to wait for Ryuji to come back, but it honestly felt a bit awkward just standing around… He thought back to earlier, when he got a microphone shoved under his nose during the show. He was sorta proud of himself for not stumbling over his words or sounding shaky. That was a first!

“Oh, Ren-kun!”

He looked up immediately. He knew exactly who that voice belonged to. Goro walked up to him with a small grin, causing Ren to smile back at him. “Hey, Goro! Good show back there.”

“Haha, it’s routine for me at this point. I’m surprised at how well you spoke back there, though. Have you gotten better at controlling your stage fright?” He asked. Ren felt his heart swell at the hint of pride that he spotted in Goro’s gaze.

“Yes and no.” He chuckled, leaning against the wall. “I was able to control my voice and come up with a proper response, but I’m pretty sure I would’ve collapsed if I wasn’t sitting.”

Goro’s smile grew as he squeezed Ren’s shoulder reassuringly. “You’re doing good, trust me. Speaking of, I wasn’t expecting you to contradict me so strongly. It honestly felt kind of refreshing.”

“Couldn’t help it, the words just kinda happened on their own,” Ren responded sheepishly, rubbing his neck. “I meant all of it, though. What about you? I wasn’t expecting your opinion either, if I’m honest.”

Goro hummed. “I did mean it to an extent, I do think they should be tried as criminals if I can prove that what they’re doing is unjust. As much as I want to give in and say that they’re doing the right thing, I can’t do that unless I know the methods and motive for sure.”

“Even more reason not to assume, though. Whether it’s guilty until proven innocent or vice versa, we’d still need evidence before determining anything, no? I see your point if they’re using blackmail or torture, but we can’t be sure,” Ren debated. He was honestly playing dumb at this point to hide what he knew, but it was also fun to challenge Goro’s opinions.

“I see your point, however… We also cannot be sure that they’re _not_ using blackmail or torture, it’s perfectly plausible for that to be the case. Remember how both Kamoshida _and_ Madarame were scared out of their wits when they confessed? They could’ve been threatened by somebody,” Goro suggested calmly.

Ren grinned brightly, showing just how much fun he’s having with this debate. He knew that this was a serious discussion, but he couldn’t help being amused. “Valid point, detective. I can’t really think of anything to counter that argument, so I concede.”

“Haha, glad to see you know when to admit defeat,” Goro said with a smile of his own and a wink. Ugh, his heart just skipped a beat. “Debating with you is actually very stimulating though, let’s do this again sometime when we’re both free. Having somebody to bounce ideas off of is always nice.”

“Challenge accepted.” Ren leaned away from the wall, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Now that I think about it, do you tend to go to cafés? Because there’s a really quiet café in Yongen-Jaya that might help you get away from all the noise that comes with fame.”

Goro perked up, eyes brightening a bit with interest. “A quiet café? Is it Leblanc, by chance? I haven’t been there yet, but my coworker recommended it to me.”

“Mmhm, it’s the perfect get-away. Plus, I live in the attic upstairs, so you can see me anytime,” he teased Goro with a wink of his own.

“The attic? I’m… really curious about the context behind that, though I must be going now, so I can’t really ask. I’ll have to swing by sometime soon to see my favourite person, though.”

Ren fluttered his eyelashes at Goro dramatically. “Would that be me, darling?”

“Of course not, I meant Morgana.”

He snorted involuntarily, dissolving into giggles which probably got to Goro because he began laughing quietly too. “You wound me, Goro!”

“Well that’s too bad,” Goro managed between chuckles, trying to compose himself. When he calmed down from his laughing fit, he nudged Ren’s shoulder with his own before turning to leave.

“Time for me to go. Let’s talk later, Ren-kun!”

Ren smiled fondly and waved. “Bye bye for now, Goro.”

The bell at the top of Leblanc’s door told Ren of the arrival of a customer. Sojiro was out for a few hours so he had to tend to the store, which was incredibly boring due to the lack of customers, so it felt like a miracle when he heard that bell. He looked up, beaming when he saw who walked in. He got up from his seat at the booth and hurried behind the counter.

“Welcome to Leblanc, what can I get started for you?”

Goro took a seat at the bar and smiled up at him, setting his briefcase onto the seat beside him. “What do you recommend, Ren-kun?”

He hummed thoughtfully, taking out the beans required for the house blend. “You can’t go wrong with the house blend. It’s delicious and strong, but it’s not overwhelmingly bitter.”

“I’ll have that, then.”

They settled into a comfortable silence as Ren worked at preparing the coffee, a pleasant aroma spreading through the shop as he poured it into a cup. He placed it in front of Goro, who kept his chin propped up with his hand and his eyes closed. That could have fooled him into thinking that Goro felt relaxed, if he wasn’t aware of the tell-tale signs of stress that he was never quite able to mask, such as his tense shoulders and the subtle furrow of his brows.

“Long day, honey?”

Goro smiled at the nickname, but the way he nodded slowly spoke volumes for how exhausted he is. “Very long… Sometimes I wonder if they're aware I’m still a high schooler and not a professional.”

Ren walked out from behind the counter and took the seat next to Goro, patting his back as comfortingly as he could. “Anything I can do?”

“Hmm… Take my mind off of things, please?” He suggested quietly, gazing at Ren. “Let’s talk about the things we didn’t have time for before. For example… How did you come to live here, anyways?”

“Long story.” Ren picked at his nails, smiling sadly. He started talking about his arrest back in his hometown and explained all of the circumstances that brought him here, including court proceedings and the long, exhausting journey from Inaba to Tokyo. Goro was wide-eyed by the end, evidently at a loss for words.

“… Woah. Do you… Do you remember what the man looked like, by chance? Any defining features, or did he say anything that could point to his identity?” Goro questioned rapidly.

“I mean, I did notice a few things back then, but my memories are a bit fuzzy due to shock,” he mumbled, sighing to himself. “I remember thinking about how fucking bald he was, and he had some shitty sunglasses on? I… I forget the exact phrasing, but he said something that I thought was odd. Something about him ‘steering this country’.”

He heard Goro’s breath hitch, staring off into the table blankly before glaring at it intensely. “ _Him_ …”

“Wait, do you suspect anyone?” Ren asked, honestly impressed that his half-assed description helped at all.

Goro bit at his lip, not even flinching as he tore away some skin. He never got rid of that bad habit, huh? “I have someone in mind, but… I need to figure something out before I can confirm anything. Don’t worry though.” He turned his body towards Ren, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder and looking him right in the eyes with that determined gaze of his.

“I’ll make sure that justice is served.”

Ren felt warmth spread through his chest when he heard Goro’s firm words, staring back into his eyes with what was probably an awestruck look. This feeling was awfully reminiscent of how he felt back then, when Goro first protected him. Speaking of…

“Will you protect me, Prince Goro?” He teased, grinning mischievously.

Goro raised his eyebrows, surprised at the reference. His lip began to tremble though, bursting into laughter a second later. He placed his forehead on Ren’s shoulder, shaking his head fondly.

“You really are something,” Goro marveled. Ren began to laugh too, gently resting his head on Goro’s own. He shifted his head to look Ren in the eyes, revealing the most beautiful smile Ren’s ever seen. He really did miss those dimpled cheeks and those large, bright eyes.

“But to answer your question… I’ll protect you if it’s the last thing I do, dear Cinderella.”


End file.
